


Day 141

by Josh_the_Bard



Series: A Year in Kirkwall [141]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:02:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24313957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Josh_the_Bard/pseuds/Josh_the_Bard
Series: A Year in Kirkwall [141]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1589257





	Day 141

Tomwise was going over his accounts, as he often did on slow days. Many poison dealers had a false ledger or a secret code to write in while they were conducting business but Tomwise had long since stopped bothering with all that. When the Captain of the Guard was one of your most loyal clients, the law became the least of your concerns.

Today he was reviewing all his orders from the past few months and comparing them to previous years sales. Many of his clients had died during the Qunari attack but many others had started panic buying poisons for fear of future conflict. Year over year sales were down a noticeable amount, if you didn’t factor in Hawke who’s buying patterns were a mystery beyond Tomwise.

One discrepancy did jump out at him, however. Three Socks Jim had been fairly consistent with his orders week-to-week. But had not ordered for the past two. Usually that meant someone was dead or arrested, and normally Tomwise would simply carry on with his business, but he liked Jim and had nothing going on today so he decided to check up on the man.

Three Socks Jim had a few hangouts but lived in a small residence in Lowtown. When Tomwise knocked on the door there was some frantic rustling before the door flung open and Three Socks stood in the doorway looking out. The man looked like he hadn’t shaved or slept in days, but he always looked that way. His house was in complete disorder with scrolls and animal cages everywhere. At least half the animals looked to be either dead or dying and Tomwise started to formulate what Three Socks did with all the poison he bought. 

“Ah,” he squeaked, “Tomwise! What a surprise to see you.”

“I know men of my profession don’t usually make house calls,” Tonwise said. “But it’s been a while and I just wanted to make sure you hadn’t been shanked in an alley or sacrificed in a blood ritual or something.”

“Ah,” Three Socks said again. “Well… right, see the thing is… Well...”

“Look,” Tomwide said. “I make a habit of not asking questions, and that includes not asking about why you no longer need my service. It doesn't pay to hold a grudge.” Tomwise turned to go. He was glad Three Socks was alive but it hurt more than he expected to learn one of his clients went elsewhere.

“Wait,” Three Socks called. “Look it’s not that I want to stop buying from you. I was in a game of diamondback a while ago and this dwarf woman bet me several months of contract on a hand. Now I have to buy poison from her for the next few months at least.”

Tomwise had never heard of someone locking a client into a contract over a game of cards. In truth he was a little jealous he hadn’t thought of it himself. He thanked Three socks for his honesty and went back to his shop. Looking back over his books he saw several clients who had disappeared without reason within the last two weeks. Whoever this mystery poison dealer was, they were poaching Tomwis’s clients out from under him. Tomwise didn’t survive as long as he had by picking fights he didn’t need to, but he also didn’t survive by letting someone steal his clients. Many poisoners walked a line between being hard to find yet still accessible to clients. Tomwise resolved to track down this new player and get his clients back.


End file.
